Indigenous Peoples of North America: A Concise Anthropological Overview

Description

Most books dealing with North American Indigenous peoples are exhaustive in coverage. They provide in-depth discussion of various culture areas which, while valuable, sometimes means that the big picture context is lost. This book offers a corrective to that trend by providing a concise, thematic overview of the key issues facing Indigenous peoples in North America, from prehistory to the present. It integrates a culture area analysis within a thematic approach, covering archaeology, traditional lifeways, the colonial era, and contemporary Indigenous culture. Muckle also explores the history of the relationship between Indigenous peoples and anthropologists with rigor and honesty. The result is a remarkably comprehensive book that provides a strong grounding for understanding Indigenous cultures in North America.

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About Author

Robert J. Muckle is Professor of Anthropology at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada. He is the author of several textbooks, includingIntroducing Archaeology (second edition, 2014) and Indigenous Peoples of North America (2012); writes an online monthly column for Anthropology News; and is actively engaged on Twitter (@bobmuckle) in anthropology and archaeology related discussions.

Contents

List of Illustrations Preface A Note on Classification, Terminology, and Spelling Acknowledgements 1. Situating the Indigenous Peoples of North America 2. Studying the Indigenous Peoples of North America through the Lens of Anthropology 3. Comprehending North American Archaeology 4. Studying Population, Languages, and Cultures in North America as they were at AD 1500 5. Overview of Traditional Lifeways 6. Understanding the Colonial Experience 7. Contemporary Conditions, Nation-building, and Anthropology Epilogue: Final Comments Appendices: 1. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2. Excerpts from the Code of Ethics of the American Anthropological Association (2009) 3. Excerpts from the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (1990) 4. Excerpts from the Royal Proclamation of 1763 5. Apology for Residential Schools 6. Apology to the Native Peoples of the United States 7. Studying Indigenous Peoples of North America Glossary Bibliography Index